Gunman ambushes, kills deputy after assaulting pizza worker over wrong order

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas -- A manhunt is underway in Houston for the gunman who ambushed and killed an on-duty deputy overnight, authorities said.

Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez identified him as Deputy Fernando Esqueda -- a five-year veteran with the department in the Violent Person Task Force.

"He was dedicated to protecting and serving the residents of Harris County," Gonzalez wrote in a post on social media. "We pray with Deputy Esqueda's family, friends, and colleagues during this incredibly difficult time. Deputy Esqueda's commitment to duty and his sacrifice will always be remembered."

According to Chief Deputy Mike Lee, deputies heard a call at about 10:10 p.m. Wednesday regarding an aggravated assault at a Little Caesars Pizza on Wallisville Road.

A suspect came in to pick up a pizza, but became upset because the order was incorrect.

That's when he verbally assaulted the clerk, pulled out a gun, and pistol-whipped the employee before taking off, Lee said.

The employee described the suspect's vehicle to detectives, including the license plate.

The plate was tracked to the 13200 block of Italian Cypress Trail, near Tidwell Road and Highway 90, after deputies entered the number into the county's Flock camera system.

Officials said Esqueda, who was one of the many detectives working overtime to keep everyone safe after Hurricane Beryl, responded and notified his team members over the phone that he spotted what he thought was the vehicle.

"During that phone conversation, our deputy apparently was ambushed," Lee said. "The other detectives in the area went to his location, and at that time, saw his undercover vehicle with multiple gun strikes in it."

Esqueda was shot multiple times, Lee said.

Lee added that rather than wait for EMS, due to the severity of his injuries, Esqueda was placed in a patrol vehicle and rushed to the hospital, where he died.

Gonzalez shared a photo of the suspect on social media and identified him as 44-year-old Ronnie Palmer. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is encouraged to call the sheriff's office at 713-221-6000 or Houston Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477).

"Palmer is wanted for an aggravated assault that occurred on July 10, 2024, at 15634 Wallisville in east Harris County," Gonzalez wrote on social media. "He is also a person of interest in the capital murder of a Harris County Sheriff's Deputy."

"We have no doubt that suspect will be in custody in no time," Lee said.

The Violent Person Task Force, which Esqueda was a part of, is a group that hunts down child rapists, homicide suspects, and "some of the most egregious criminals out there," Lee told ABC13.